Adjustable latch



p 30. 969 c. H. HUTCHISON 3,469,877

ADJUSTABLE LATCH Filed June 30, 1967 Charles H. Hutch/son INVENTOR BY mmq,

Unitcd States Patent 3,469,877 ADJUSTABLE LATCH Charles H. Hutchison,Beaver, Pa. (Rte. 4, Box 12-A, Danville Road, Decatur, Ala. 35601) FiledJune 30, 1967, Ser. No. 650,361 Int. Cl. Ec 3/04; E05b 15/02 US. Cl.292241 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relatesto a latch, such as of the type generally utilized in combination withpanel closures, double-hung windows, and the like. More particularly,the present invention relates to a latch of the aforementioned typewhich is provided with an adjustment means for compensating for anoffset between closure portions with which the latch is associated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel constructionfor an adjustable latch of the type generally comprising twosubassemblies each associated with separate adjacent portions of aclosure, and the like, which closure portions generally do not align andthereby create an offset which would normally interfere with the properlatching of the subassemblies of the latch mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction for an adjustable latch to provide an improved means ofreleasably fastening portions of a closure, or the like, which are ondifierent planes and such as comprise an access door or panel in a sheetmetal, masonite duct or the like and wherein a closure plate overlaps anaccess opening in the duct.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction for an adjustable latch which obviates the necessity forshimming portions of a latch to compensate for an offset of two portionsof a closure with which a latch is associated.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction for an adjustable latch wherein at least one subassembly ofthe latch is provided with an adjustment means for selectively varyingthe relative position of a detent or keeper element with regard to thesupport surface for the subassembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction for an adjustable latch which is simple, inexpensive, andwhich may be readily installed in lieu of non-adjustable latchesprovided heretofore.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accom- 3,469,877 Patented Sept. 30, 1969 panyingdrawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to likeparts throughout, and in which:

'FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of anadjustable latch constructed in accordance with this invention andshown, for purposes of illustration only, operatively associated with anoffset closure in a panel;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view of the adjustablelatch of FIGURE 1 taken substantially along the plane of the line 22 ofFIGURE 1;

vFIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional View of theadjustable latch of FIGURE 1 taken substantially along the offset plane3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

.FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of a subassembly of theadjustable latch of FIGURE 1 which comprises the adjustment meansthereof.

vReferring now to the drawings in further detail, and FIGURE 1 inparticular, it will be seen that an exemplary embodiment of anadjustable latch indicated generally at 1'0 constructed in accordancewith the present invention is shown, for purposes of illustration only,as operatively associated with a closure or the like indicated generallyat 12 which comprises first and second portions 14 and 16 respectively,which are normally latched in overlapping relation.

The adjustable latch 10 includes two subassemblies which comprise alatch cam assembly indicated at 18, which is secured to the closureportion 16 and an adjustable latch cam keeper assembly indicatedgenerally at 20' secured to the closure portion 14.

As seen best from a simultaneous consideration of FIGURES 1 and 2 thelatch cam assembly 18 comprises a downwardly turned cup-shaped cam latchbase 22 having a segmental latch cam 24 rotatably secured thereto by apivot means 26 such as comprising a double-headed rivet or the like. Thelatch cam 24 includes a segmental arcuate cam surface 25 adapted tocoact with the latch keeper assembly 20 to retain the closure portions14 and 16 in latched relation. The latch cam assembly base 22 is fixedlysecured to the closure portion 16 by fasteners 28 such as comprisingbolts received in suitable apertures therein and in the closure panel16.

The adjustable latch cam keeper assembly 20 includes a latch keeperassembly body portion 30 which comprises a downwardly opening elongatedcup-shaped member having an integral upstanding latch keeper 32 whichterminates in a downwardly turned integral latch detent 34 which definesan inverted J-shaped latch cam detent. The adjustable latch keeperassembly 20 is further provided with a means of adjusting the relativedistance between a supporting member or surface, such as comprising theclosure portion 14, and the inverted J-slot defined by the cam detent 34so as to facilitate adjustment of the keeper assembly 20 to compensatefor closure portions which are offset, such as the closure portions 14and 16. From a simultaneous consideration of FIGURES 2 1, it will beseen that the latch keeper assembly adjustment means, a portion of whichis indicated at 21, comprises an upwardly opening elongated cup-shapedadjustment means base member 36 sized so as to be received within thedownwardly opening keeper portion 30. The base member 36 is providedwith apertures 38 for the through passage of fasteners 40 such ascomprising bolts, screws or the like for adjustably securing the latchkeeper assembly 20 to a support surface such as comprising the closureportion 14 or the like. The fasteners 40 are received in suitableapertures in the latch keeper body portion 30 and in the embodimentillustrated to secure the keeper assembly 20 to the closure portion 14by means of complementary threaded nuts 41.

The keeper assembly body portion 30 may be maintained in the positionshown in FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein the keeper body portion 30 is biasedagainst the heads of the fasteners 40, by a resilient biasing meanscomprising helical compression springs 42 and/or adjustable biasingmeans comprising a plurality of setscrews 44 received in suitablethreaded apertures indicated at 45 in the keeper assembly body portion30 so as to permit adjustment of the setscrews 44 against the basemember 36 to force the body portion 30 upwardly against the head of thefastener 40. From the foregoing it will be applieciated that whenutilizing the setscrews 44 it is not imperative that the springs 42 beutilized.

Referring now to the utilization and operation of-the exemplaryembodiment of the adjustable latch the latch and keeper assemblies 18and 20' respectively are operatively positioned by first securing thelatch cam assembly 18 to one portion of a closure, such as the closureportion 16, by means of the fasteners 28 whereby the arcuate cam surface25 of the cam member 24 projects outwardly from the closure portion 16so as to overlie an associated closure portion, such as the closureportion 14. The latch keeper assembly 20 comprising the base portion 36,body portion 30, fasteners 40 and selectively and alternately optionaltensioning memberscomprising the springs 42 or the setscrews 44 issecured to the closure portion 14, as seen best in FIGURES 2 and 3,wherein the I-slot defined by the latch keeper or detent tab 34 is sopositioned so as to coact with the segmental cam 25 of the cam member24. To compensate for the offset existing between the closure portions14 and 16 the effective length of the fastener 40 may be selectivelyvaried by rotational adjustment of the bolt 40 so as to vary theeffective length of the bolt 40, to adjust the distance between theupper surface of the closure member 14 and the I-slot defined by thekeeper tab 34. When springs 42 are utilized it will thus be appreciatedthat when placed under compression the springs 42 will tend to tensionthe keeper body portion 30 against the head of the bolts 40'. Inaddition, when springs 42 are not utilized the setscrews 44 may berotatably adjusted so as to react against the adjustment means baseportion 36 so as to tension the keeper body portion 30 upwardly againstthe heads of the fasteners 40. It will further be appreciated that ifdesired both the springs 42 and 44 may be utilized to tension the keeperassembly body portion 30 upwardly against the heads of the fasteners 40.

From the foregoing it will be readily appreciated that an adjustablelatch, such as the exemplary latch 10, constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention greatly simplifies the fittingof closure elements with a releasably securable latch means.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be restored to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

'1. An adjustable latch for the releasable fastening of adjacentgenerally offset portions of a closure and the like which comprises, incombination, a latch cam assembly adapted to be secured to one portionof a closure, a latch cam keeper assembly adapted to be adjustablysecured to an adjacent portion of a closure, said adjustable latchkeeper assembly coacting with said latch cam to releasably fasten theclosure portions, said adjustable .4 latch cam keeper assembly includinga latch keeper assembly body portion provided with a latch cam detent,and said adjustable latch cam keeper assembly being provided with meansfor adjustably securing said keeper body portion to the adjacent portionof the closure whereby the effective distance between the closureportion and the latch cam detent can be selectively varied to compensatefor an olfset between the normal fastened position of the closureportions, said means for adjustably securing said latch keeper bodyportion including headed post means and means for compressively biasingsaid latch keeper body portion against the headed portion of said headedpost means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch cam assembly includes alatch cam base provided with a pivotally secured segmental arcuate latchcam having an arcuate cam surface thereon.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch cam detent of saidlatch keeper assembly body portion defines a downwardly opening latchcam receiving slot.

4. An adjustable latch for the releasable fastening of adjacentgenerally offset portions of a closure and the like which comprises, incombination, a latch cam assembly adapted to be secured to one portionof a closure, a latch cam keeper assembly adapted to be adjustablysecured to an adjacent portion of a closure, said adjustable latchkeeper asembly coacting with said latch cam to releasably fasten theclosure portions, said adjustable latch cam keeper assembly including alatch keeper assembly body portion provided with a latch cam detent, andsaid adjustable latch cam keeper assembly being provided with means foradjustably securing said keeper body portion to the adjacent portion ofthe closure whereby the elfective distance between the closure portionand the latch cam detent can be selectively varied to compensate for anoffset between the normal fastened position of the closure portions,said latch keeper assembly body portion comprising a downwardly openingmember, and said adjustable means adapted to adjustably secure said bodyportion to the closure comprising at least one headed fastener meanspassing downwardly through and slidably received within at least onesuitable aperture n said body portion whereby the head of the fasteneris too large to pass through said at least one aperture, said fastenerbeing generally fixed to the closure portion, and means biasing saidbody portion against the head of said fastener.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means biasing said bodyportion against said fastener head comprises at least one resilientmember.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said resilient member comprises ahelical compression spring received about said at least one fastener.

7. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means biasing said bodyportion against said fastener head comprises at least one setscrewthreadably received in said body portion and adapted to coact with theclosure portion to which said latch keeper assembly body portion isadjustably secured.

8. The combination of claim 4 wherein said adjustable means includes abase member adapted to be generally recelved within said latch keeperassembly body portion and adapted to be operatively positionedcontiguous with the closure portion to which said body portion isadustably secured.

9. In combination with a closure and the like having generally offsetadjacent portions an adjustable latch for the releasable fastening ofadjacent generally offset portlons of a closure and the like whichcomprises, in combination, a latch cam assembly secured to one portionof the closure, a latch cam keeper assembly adjustably secured to anadjacent portion of the closure, said adjustable latch keeper assemblycoacting with said latch cam to releasably fasten the closure portions,said adjustable latch cam keeper assembly including a latch keeperassembly body portion provided with a latch cam detent, and saidadjustable latch cam keeper assembly being provided with means foradjustably securing said keeper body portion to the adjacent portion ofthe closure whereby the effective distance between the closure portionand the latch cam detent can be selectively varied to compensate for anoffset between the normal fastened position of the closure portions,said means for adjustably securing said latch keeper body portionincluding headed post means and means for compressively biasing saidlatch keeper body portion against the headed portion of 10 said headedpost means.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,046 1/1927 Schmidgall292-34118 2,506,879 5/1950 Lieb 292-241 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, PrimaryExaminer E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 292-341.18

